29 de setembro de 2010

I like to be creative in my post titles - or at least I try - but this time I chose a song title and yes, it´s from my latest music discover.

Summer is over. Well, not if you live down under in the southern hemisphere. If that´s the case I must warn you that you live upside down.

Was a good Summer - hottest in 49 years...they say - I got a mighty regular job, with the respective mighty good salary. I finally got in college, despite not being as excited as I was in the years where I failed my application, perhaps because this year I knew since January I wouldn´t have problems getting in. The only stressful thing was if I could get in where I wanted...and kudos to me! Last but not least, as a music lover, I couldn´t be happier because I found some amazing talents, being Paloma Faith the last one in the very last day of Summer, and I can finally buy albums on the internet.

Summer is over and looks like good times went away too...at least for this week (meaning last week from this date). I´m writing this in one of several train rides I got in today. I´m gonna tell you something: this country is über-burocratic (über is my new favorite word). My uni thought that having already all the necessary data for transportation purposes in a paper instead filling a blank page was a good idea; the guys from the bus/train companies thought otherwise and had the normal reaction seing that the papers weren´t like the ones last year: they panic and they demand the old ones!

Before all this mess and money spent in trains Sunday I got the news that Katie Melua postponed her whole tour. She was starting here in Portugal in a couple of weeks, tickets were almost sold out weeks before the concert - I have mine for months and now I read that it will have to wait more six months until gets useful. I was really looking forward to it, even more now to distress from all this new life with college and this happened.

This way I want something beautiful so I´ll just close my eyes and make believe...just like I usually do.

This is what the mail man has been delivering for the past 4 weeks. Diane Birch was already mentioned so I´ll start with the other girl with pretty hair.

I thought that I´ve also bought her first album (Under The Surface - 2006), but this newbie notice that he ordered the single re-launch (2009)...At least it was cheap and has a cool picture on the cover.

Then I also found this...

Never heard of it (guess Germany, who loves Marit, has the exclusive) but I HAD/MUST to order. And, yes, I´ve watched it a few times by now...she´s so damn talented (try read the lyrics without music...she´s always saying that she fools people with sad lyrics in "bubbly" melodies...and it´s true), also bloody cute and funny - watch Don´t Save Me videoclip making of.

Last, a huge guilty pleasure covered with the excuse this was also a present for my younger sister.

Saw some interviews of her, as I usually do with artists I like, and she´s awesome (read with an aussie accent) and very creative.

The wish list is gigantic. I´ll keep it strict to Tired Pony´s album.

P.S.: Take a listen to this artists: Paloma Faith (Live from Abbey Road), Hurts and Coeur de Pirate...I promise you French never sound so good.

6 de setembro de 2010

I will probably sound like a n00b, but who cares? I just found one of many corners of that World of the Wide Web. The story goes like this:

If you look a couple a posts under you will notice that I got myself a brand new music love. The way I found her was quite lucky... The story inside the story goes like this:

On youtube I found guy that uploads the entire episodes of an American talk-show hosted by Craig Ferguson - The Late Late Show. For example, tonight I´ll watch yesterday´s episode. At weekends, like there´s no show, he usually uploads "old" episodes in HD. So, exactly in one of those episodes there was a music act...quite rare on the show because as the name might indicate it´s broadcasted quite late at night. After a funny intro, camera turns on the artist and...oh she has that haircut with whom I got some kind of fetish. Then she starts to sing...wow...just wow. Her name is Diane Birch.

Next step...google her. Found that she´s a new artist with just one album released. Album that after one listen I decided that I must have.

Problem: I certainly won´t find it on portuguese stores.

Solution: Internet.

Problem (part 2): No credit card.

I thought going to the store and ask if they could order that for me (most certainly not...) and I would pay after. Then I found a solution, one that I´ve already heard before. With your debit card you can do a temporary card to buy stuff on the Internet.

Problem (part 3): Went to a couple of ATMs to activate the system and there wasn´t that option. I thought...that´s it. No album for the kid.

For some weird reason I decided go to Amazon.com . Just to see what would be needed to buy stuff there. And jackpot! I could use my debit card just giving the data that the thing has on it. As simple as that...didn´t saw that coming.

Sign in, look up for the goodies (aka music albums) and noticed that buy there will be considerably cheapest than buy...on the store near my house, even if it comes from the other side of the Atlantic. Well...this one I saw coming. Now I´m still exploring my new toy. Bible Belt from D. Birch is already here and as a birthday gift to myself more three goodies are coming (info on the goodies on the next post).

Oh, and don´t trust in Amazon deliver dates. In a good way. I think those marketing people told them to tell people the products will arrive weeks or a month later, and when you notice you got a goodie on your mail just a few days after the order (at least with music albums).

P.S.: Speaking in mail...a letter can beat a car! - This P.S. is related to that great show called Top Gear...Yes, I like cars...I´m a man...despite the doubtful music choices that you´ll see on the next post...and enjoying Ferguson gay impersonations on his shows...that man is funny!)